Serviced office providers ServCorp and Regus eye court battle over “deceitful trading” allegation

Rival serviced office providers Servcorp and Regus are set to face off in court, after the pair failed to resolve mediation over allegations that an online service offices directory part-owned by Regus was directing inquiries away from Servcorp to its part owner.

Servcorp has accused Regus of “deceitful trading”. It claims the online directories www.easyoffices.com and www.easyvirtualoffices.com, which are 49% owned by Regus subsidiary Nuclei, have not retained their independence since Regus invested in 2007.

In a strongly worded statement, Servcorp says that it “became evident that enquiries submitted to Servcorp-owned properties were found to have been forwarded to neighbouring Regus-owned properties instead.”

Servcorp also claims that “all email enquiries made about Servcorp locations through www.easyvirtualoffices.com received an auto-response delivery failure notification followed promptly by an email from Regus offering their neighbouring office space location”.

“Documents also reveal the claim that phone numbers shown next to listings of Servcorp properties were found to be directed straight to Regus and answered by a Regus voicemail message,” Servcorp says.

Johnson, Winter & Slattery, lawyers for Nuclei, were contacted this morning by SmartCompany but declined to comment by the time of publication.

A Regus spokeswoman was tight-lipped this morning, saying, “Regus notes the announcement made by Servcorp but as the case is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment.”

HWL Ebsworth is representing Servcorp.